Chances are you’re familiar with the visible ways exercise does your body good — sleeker legs, a firmer backside, flatter abs — but what about the benefits you can’t see?
Yes, it reduces your risk of heart disease and diabetes, but researchers have found that working out can also improve everything from your mood to your memory.
Check out all the other ways an afternoon kickboxing class or stroll with your dog can perk up your day-in, day-out routine — you won’t be able to put on your trainers fast enough!
1. More exercise = fewer sick days
Work out for just 30 minutes a day and you’ll catch half as many colds this year, according to a study in the American Journal of Medicine. That’s because exercise prompts more white blood cells to circulate through your body, where they kill disease-causing invaders. Physical activity also lowers your oestrogen levels, which helps explain why women who exercise regularly have a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer.
Make it work for you: When you don’t have time for a full-on sweat session, squeeze in three 10-minute bursts of activity (try speed walking) during the day.
2. You’ll get better zzz’s
“Amp up your kilojoule burn during the day and you’ll sleep more soundly at night,” says Professor Mark Stibich, a health research consultant. “Your body shuts down faster if you’ve exercised because it needs sleep to repair workout-induced muscle stress [that's how you get stronger] and replenish your energy.”
Make it work for you: Exercise (this includes cardio and strength training) later in the day. Your body temperature will dip for up to six hours afterwards, which many experts believe may help you fall asleep. Hitting the gym post-work will also help you unwind, setting the stage for a relaxing evening.
3. You’ll be a social butterfly
“When you take a group-fitness class or run with a club, you connect with like-minded people,” says biomedical researcher Professor Timothy Church. “In fact, the women in our studies often stay with the exercise programmes we give them after the research is finished because they’ve become friends with people in the group.” Health clubs have also noticed that there’s power in numbers, and many of them now offer group programmes, like adventure getaways and marathon training.
Make it work for you: If you’re a runner, go to www.runsa.co.za to find your nearest club. Interested in something more adventurous? Check out workshops and trips to climb, hike Mt Kilimanjaro, sea kayak, adventure race, mountain bike, and trail run at www.runlikeagirl.co.za
4. Pick up weights and you’ll love your thighs
“Strength training improves your muscle tone, which naturally in-creases your body confidence,” says Prof Stibich. University of South Alabama (US) researchers found that when women completed a 12-week circuit strength-training plan, they felt significantly better about their appearance than women who did only cardio workouts.
Make it work for you: Hit the weights at least twice a week. Target your entire body with eight to 10 moves; do one set of each without resting, then repeat once or twice.
5. “I forget…” will vanish from your vocabulary
Your brain shrinks as you age, making your memory fuzzier. But scientists have found that exercise increases the volume of the hippocampus, the area of the brain that helps sort and store new information.
Make it work for you: Bust a move on the dance floor. “Doing something that engages you physically, mentally or socially helps keep your brain healthy,” says Dr Joe Verghese, a researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US). “Dancing does all of those things at once, so it’s really an ideal activity.”
6. You’ll be happier
You know you feel better after a workout, but now there’s evidence that the exercise high is real. German scientists discovered that after a two-hour run, athletes experienced a surge of endorphins (mood-lifting hormones) in brain regions associated with pleasure. And the lift lingers: research shows that exercising three times a week is as effective as common prescription medications for decreasing mild to moderate depression.
Make it work for you: When your busy schedule permits, extend your cardiovascular workouts (think weekend hikes and bike rides). We produce endorphins at different rates, but most mood-related research has been done on sessions that lasted at least an hour.
7. Stress won’t mess with you
When you feel anxious, your heart rate increases, you breathe faster, and you sweat more — and the same things happen when you work out. Exercise regularly and your body associates those reactions with something positive (like a good run), so it doesn’t get as worked up about them.
Make it work for you: Try this to get the stress-busting benefits of exercise in less time: warm up, then alternate between increasing the resistance or speed for a minute and recovering for a minute. Do eight work-rest intervals.
8. Kicking bad habits will be easy
Researchers from England’s University of Exeter found that exercise significantly reduces the urge to have a cigarette. “We’re hardwired to associate physical activity with reward because we once had to exercise to get food,” says study author Professor Adrian Taylor. As a result, exercise quells cravings for a smoke — and even sweets — by triggering the pleasure you’d typically get from nicotine or sugar.
Make it work for you: Walk for 10 minutes every day to prevent the urge — whether it’s to light up or dive into a box of Smarties.
9. Back pain will be a bad memory
An ohm a day keeps nagging aches away, say researchers at the Group Health Cooperative, a non-profit healthcare system in the US. They divided 100 people with chronic back pain into three groups that either performed yoga daily, participated in physical therapy, or followed an exercise plan. After 12 weeks, those doing yoga saw the biggest improvements in pain. “Yoga prevents back tightness and aches and boosts your postural awareness, so you’re more likely to sit and stand in ways that don’t strain your back,” says Alison Trewhela, a Yoga instructor who is assisting with a clinical trial on yoga and back pain at the University of York in England.
Make it work for you: Hit the mat for an hour or more at least once a week.
10. Your performance at the office will soar
Exercise pumps more blood to your brain, which improves your concentration. “Just one sweat session is an instant boost,” says Professor Sian Beilock. Her research found that students who walked or ran for 30 minutes before performing tasks involving “working memory”, like reasoning, saw better results. Working memory is your ability to focus while other things are vying for your attention,” Beillock says.
Make it work for you: Try Eastern-based exercise.
People who do t’ai chi, for example, score higher on tests of attention than those who do only cardio and strength training, according to researcher Professor Ruth Taylor-Pillae. “T’ai chi requires you to remember complex sequences and coordinate your movements,” she says. “Both take concentration.”
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